Insight April 2015

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    nsights Daily Current Events, 01 April 2015 MoU on Cooperation in Traditional Systems of Medicine and HomoeopathyThe Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister recently gave its approval for the Memorandum ofUnderstanding on Cooperation in Traditional Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy between India andMauritius.

    •oth India and Mauritius share several cultural! historical! linguistic and literary similarities.Traditional medicine including medicinal plants are promising areas which need to be further e"ploredand can prove to be mutually beneficial to the people of the two countries.

    How will this be helpful#

    •The MoU will enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the areas of traditionalmedicine including medicinal plants.

    •This will be of immense importance to both countries! considering their shared cultural heritage.$esources%The financial resources necessary to conduct research! training courses! conferences& meetings anddeputations of e"perts will be met from the e"isting allocated budget and e"isting plan schemes of theMinistry of '(USH.India and Mauritius%India has well)developed systems of traditional medicine! including medicinal plants which have potential in

    the global health scenario. The *overnment of Mauritius also has a long history of traditional medicine incommon with India. oth countries share a common culture with respect to the 'yurvedic System ofMedicine. Moreover! there are a large number of medicinal plants! particularly those found in the tropicalregion. These are common to the two countries given similar geo)climatic factors.Similar MoUs%The Ministry of '(USH as a part of its mandate to propagate Indian Systems of Medicine globally hasentered into MoUs with the People+s $epublic of China! Malaysia! Trinidad , Tobago! Hungary! angladeshand -epal.Sources% PI. Signing and ratifying the Inter-Governmental Agreement on Dry Ports of International ImportanceThe Union Cabinet recently gave its approval for signing and ratifying of the Inter)*overnmental 'greement

    on ry Ports of International Importance for signature at the United -ations Head/uarters in -ew (or0.•This is a follow up of the $esolution of the United -ations 1conomic and Social Commission for 'siaand the Pacific 2U-1SC'P3 regarding development of dry ports within member countries ofU-1SC'P! including India.

    How will this be helpful#

    •This agreement promotes international recognition of dry ports! facilitates investment in infrastructure!improves operational efficiency of inter modal transport services! establishes guiding principles fordevelopment and operation of dry ports and enhances the environmental sustainability of freighttransport.

    •The agreement will help in connectivity and integration of the 'sian highway networ0! the trans)'sianrailways networ0 and other modes by wor0ing towards development of dry ports.

    There is need to promote and develop an international integrated intermodal transport and logisticssystem in 'sia with its neighbouring regions. The agreement will facilitate and e"pand internationalgoods transport as a conse/uence of growing international trade in the region.

    •The agreement will also lead to strengthening of connectivity and seamless international movement ofgoods! facilitate increased efficiency and reduce cost of transport and logistics as well as e"tend reachto inland areas and wider hinterlands.

    45 countries have signed this 'greement so far. These are 'rmenia! angladesh! Cambodia! China!Indonesia! Iran! the 6ao Peoples emocratic $epublic! Mongolia! Myanmar! -epal! the $epublic of 7orea!the $ussian 8ederation! Sri 6an0a! Ta9i0istan! Thailand! Tur0ey and :ietnam. The agreement is an outcomeof the 1SC'P resolution on the implementation of the ang0o0 eclaration on Transport evelopment in'sia and the re/uest contained to wor0 towards the development of an inter)*overnmental agreement on dryports.

     A dry port is an inland intermodal terminal directly connected by road or rail to a seaport and operating asa centre for the transshipment of sea cargo to inland destinations.Sources% PI! ;i0i.

    IAS TEAMWORK INSIGHT APRIL COMPLETE ARTICLES

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     Cainet approves gas pooling for fertili!er sector The Cabinet recently approved a proposal to pool or average out prices of domestic natural gas and imported6-* used by fertiliB4? when the $oyal Saudi 'ir 8orce led a

    coalition of 'rab states in attac0ing Shiite Houthi rebels. This was preceded by wee0s of turmoil duringwhich Houthi guerrillas toppled the government of President 'bd $abbuh Mansur Hadi and too0 overthe large parts of the country.

    •(emen is lurching closer to civil war as the Houthi militants who rule its capital try to consolidate theircontrol over the rest of the country and challenge the embattled president! 'bed $abbo Mansour Hadi.

    Sources% The Hindu. G$%arat anti-terror &ill passed finallyThe *u9arat 'ssembly recently passed the landmar0 *u9arat Control of Terrorism and @rganised Crime ill>B4?.

    •The new ill is a re)wor0ed version of the *u9arat Control of @rganised Crime ill 2*UFC@C3! >BBE!which was earlier re9ected twice by the President due to some of its contentious provisions.

    ;hy was it needed#•Citing past terror attac0s in *u9arat! the state government has raised concerns over Pa0istan+s attemptsat cross)border terrorism! *u9arat+s vulnerable coastline and the proliferation of criminal gangs! whileunderscoring the need for a strong law.

    •The government also says that the organised criminal syndicates ma0e a common cause with terroristgangs and foster macro terrorism which e"tends beyond the national boundaries. There is reason tobelieve that organised crime syndicates are operating in the State and thus! there is immediate need tocurb their activities and hence this bill.

    Controversial provisions in the ill%The ill was respectively returned twice to the State legislature in >BB= and >BBD by then Presidents '.P.F.'bdul 7alam and Pratibha Patil recommending the deletion of some controversial clauses. Some of thecontroversial provisions in the ill are as follows%

    •Clause 4A! which ma0es confessions before police officers admissible in court.

    •1mpowers police to tap telephonic conversations and submit them in court as evidence.

    •1"tends period of probe from stipulated GB days to 4DB days before filing of charge sheet.

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    •The legislation ma0es offences under the *u9arat Control of Terrorism and @rganised Crime 'ct! >B4?!non)bailable. Clause >B 2=3 of the ill states! -otwithstanding anything contained in the Code ofCriminal Procedure! no person accused of an offence punishable under this 'ct shall! if in custody! bereleased on bail or on his own bond.

    •The ill ma0es evidence collected through the interception of wire! electronic or oralcommunication admissible in the court.

    •The ill provides immunity to the State government from legal action. Clause >? of the ill states!-o suit! prosecution or other legal proceeding shall lie against the State government or any officer orauthority of the State government for anything which is in good faith done or intended to be done inpursuance of this 'ct.

    @pposition%

    •@pposition parties have termed this as an undeclared 1mergency intended to mu

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    correct beneficiary and there remains accountability in terms of issuance of the smart card and its usage.The biometric enabled smart card ensures that only the real beneficiary can use the smart card.

    •Portability J The 0ey feature of $S( is that a beneficiary who has been enrolled in a particulardistrict will be able to use his& her smart card in any $S( empanelled hospital across India. Thisma0es the scheme truly uni/ue and beneficial to the poor families that migrate from one place to theother. Cards can also be split for migrant wor0ers to carry a share of the coverage with them separately.

    •Cash less and Paperless transactions J ' beneficiary of $S( gets cashless benefit in any of theempanelled hospitals. He& she only needs to carry his& her smart card and provide

    Sources% The Hindu! rsby.gov.in. 

     Indradhan$sh Mission) children *ho missed imm$nisation get another chanceThe 7arnata0a State *overnment has said that children! aged below two! who have missed their routineimmunisation in the five Hyderabad)7arnata0a districts of 7alaburagi! (adgir! $aichur! 7oppal! allari!engaluru 2Urban3 and in the 9urisdiction of engaluru ruhat Mahanagara Pali0e 2MP3 will be coveredunder the Centre+s KMission Indradhanush+ that will be launched in the city on 'pril 5.Mission Indradhanush%Mission Indradhanush was launched by the Health , 8amily ;elfare Ministry recently.'im%

    The Mission Indradhanush! depicting seven colours of the rainbow! aims to cover all those children by >B>Bwho are either unvaccinated! or are partially vaccinated against seven vaccine preventable diseases whichinclude diphtheria! whooping cough! tetanus! polio! tuberculosis! measles and hepatitis .etails%

    •The Mission will be implemented in >B4 high focus districts in the country in the first phase whichhave nearly ?BL of all unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children 2@f the >B4 districts! D> districtsare in 9ust four states of UP! ihar! Madhya Pradesh and $a9asthan and nearly >?L of the unvaccinatedor partially vaccinated children of India are in these D> districts of = states3.

    •These districts will be targeted by intensive efforts to improve the routine immuniBBG)>B4E immuniB.

    •The focused and systematic immuniB years.

    •In India! which saw the e"ecution of '9mal 7asab in late >B4> and 'fB4E after agap of eight years! several e"ecutions scheduled for >B4= were put on hold.

    •In Fanuary! a landmar0 Supreme Court ruling laid down guidelines for death sentences! includingclassifying delay in the disposal of mercy petitions as grounds for commutation! as also mentaldisability. Information reported by the eath Penalty $esearch Pro9ect of the -ational 6aw University

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    in elhi indicated that >5B people were on death row in various Indian prisons! and eight mercypetitions were re9ected in >B4=.

    •Pa0istan lifted a si")year moratorium on e"ecutions after the Peshawar school massacre. Seven peoplewere e"ecuted in >B4=. AA people have been hanged since the lifting of the moratorium! and D!BBB morepersons were on death row.

    Sources% The Hindu. 

     HC $pholds 1erala2s li3$or policyIn a momentous 9udgment! a ivision ench of the 7erala High Court recently upheld the li/uor policy ofthe United emocratic 8ront 2U83 government that permitted bars to function only in hotels of five)starand above categories.High Court+s observations%

    •The High Court ench observed that the li/uor policy of the government for the year >B4=)4? couldnot be termed arbitrary or unreasonable. -or did it violate 'rticle 4= of the Constitution! whichguaranteed e/uality before law. In fact! it was for the State government to evolve a policy! ta0ing intoaccount various factors! including the welfare of the public.

    •The court was of the view that the government had ta0en into account all relevant material whileevolving the li/uor policy.

    The new liquor policy was envisaged to shut down bars attached to hotels below the five-star category as part of the new government’s plans to reduce availability of liquor. And according to the policy 10% of theretail liquor stores in the state would be closed every year till there is none left by 0!.Sources% The Hindu. 

     In 1arnata4a. learn in 1annadaThe 7arnata0a State 'ssembly! recently! passed the $ight of Children to 8ree and Compulsory 1ducation27arnata0a 'mendment3 ill >B4?! which see0s to provide primary education 2standard I to :3 in the child+smother tongue or in 7annada.

    •However! the ill needs Presidential assent to become law.

    •The government has left the schools affiliated to CS1 and ICS1 out of the ambit of this ill atpresent. However! there are only 5BB such schools in 7arnata0a.

    ;hy was it re/uired#The State *overnment has defended its move by saying that the ill was brought in the wa0e of the State+slanguage policy being turned down by the Constitutional bench of the Supreme Court. The policy had beenturned down as it had been brought through a government notification instead of legislation.Sources% The Hindu.

    nsights Daily Current Events, 02 April 2015

     Aro$nd half of Indian children $nder 5 st$nted 6eading up to ;orld Health ay on 'pril 5! the *lobal 'lliance for Improved -utrition 2*'I-3 inpartnership with 'mway has launched the Malnutrition Mapping Pro9ect! which they describe as ' neweducation and advocacy tool that shows the multiple impacts of malnutrition around the world using global

    data from EB low)! middle) and high)income countries. The pro9ect aims to map global malnutrition trendsand raise awareness about a preventable problem.Important findings%

    •The pro9ect has found that while India is home to third)highest number of obese people after the U.S.and China! =DL of women of reproductive age and ?GL of children under the age of five are anaemic!and close to =DL of children under the age of five are stunted.

    •The pro9ect found that the country has over ?D million children under the age of five who were stuntedand >.E million children in the age cohort who were obese.

    •The pro9ect also notes that high among the causes of childhood malnutrition in India are vitamin andmineral deficiencies! as well as sub)optimal breastfeeding practices.

    •The pro9ect report says the high proportion of anaemic women of reproductive age is lin0ed to A>L of

    children in the country showing insufficient vitamin ' status! which raises the ris0 of decreased immunefunction! increased morbidity and mortality and blindness.The *'I-)'mway pro9ect highlighted the deleterious effects of this malnutrition status! arguing that severalnon)communicable diseases were associated with unhealthy diet! sedentary lifestyles and obesity in India.

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    Sources% The Hindu. Unravelling the 6lood rain2 mystery' recent study by Indian and 'ustrian scientists has led to the discovery of the cause of the Klood $ain+phenomenon to be dispersal of spores of micro algae. Since 4DGA! reports have been coming in of sporadicinstances of red coloured rain over parts of 7erala and Sri 6an0a. The latest one was in >B4E over 7erala.etails of the new study%

    •The study confirmed that the red colour in the rain was caused by the presence of spores of a 1uropeanspecies of green microalgae! Trentepohlia annulata that was reported previously only from 'ustria NaCentral 1uropean country.

    •The study confirmed that the blood rain is nothing but a mechanism employed by this alga to disperseits spores 2similar to plant seeds3 to a very large area at once! so that algae can /uic0ly coloni

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    •The Court+s management oversight and legislative body! the 'ssembly of States Parties! consists of onerepresentative from each state party. 1ach state party has one vote and every effort has to be made toreach decisions by consensus. If consensus cannot be reached! decisions are made by vote.

    •The 'ssembly is presided over by a president and two vice)presidents! who are elected by the membersto three)year terms.

    India and the ICC%The government of India has consistently opposed the Court. It abstained in the vote adopting of the statutein 4GGD! saying it ob9ected to the broad definition adopted of crimes against humanity the rights given to theU- Security Council to refer and delay investigations and bind non)states parties and the use of nuclearweapons and other weapons of mass destruction not being e"plicitly criminaliB4>.

    Sources% The Hindu! ;i0i! PI. Government $nveils ne* foreign trade policyThe government recently unveiled a five)year plan for lifting India+s e"ports in a policy that see0s to ma0ethe country a bigger player in global trade by doubling overseas sales to GBB billion by >B4G)>B whilegiving a boost to the Ma0e in India initiative.etails%

    •In a drastic change of stance in 0eeping with global trading norms under the ;orld Trade @rgani

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    •The Merchandise 1"ports 8rom India Scheme has replaced five e"isting schemes% 8ocus ProductsScheme! Mar0et)lin0ed 8ocus Products Scheme! 8ocus Mar0et Scheme! 'griculture InfrastrucutreIncentive Scrips and :ishesh 7rishi *rameen Udyog (o9ana 2:7*U(3.

    •Services 1"ports 8rom India Scheme has replaced the e"isting Served 8rom India Scheme 2S8IS3.

    •In a big relief for e"porters! all scrips issued under M1IS and S1IS and the goods imported againstthese scrips will be fully transferable. This means that scrips issued under e"port from India schemescan now be used for payment of customs duty for import of goods! payment of e"cise duty on domesticprocurement of inputs or goods! and payment of service ta".

    •In an effort to push the domestic content re/uirement! measures have been adopted to encourageprocurement of capital goods from indigenous manufacturers under the 1PC* scheme by reducingspecific e"port obligation to 5? per cent of the normal e"port obligation.

    •The 8TP also introduced a concept of import appraisal mechanism which will be done on a /uarterlybasis by the commerce department. In a view to boost e"ports from Special 1conomic Oones 2S1Os3 thegovernment also e"panded the benefits under M1IS and S1IS to the units located inside the ta")free

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    •In the ill! the term witch is described as a woman! locally 0nown as ayan! a0an or a0in!who has been identified by any person or persons believing her to be in possession of! or as having! anyevil power for causing any harm to any person or property.

    ;hat is ;itchcraft#

    •;itchcraft has been described in the ill as use of supernatural or magical powers with evil intentionto call up a spirit or cast a spell or discover stolen goods.

    It includes such other practices which are 0nown as Tona)Tota0a! Tantra)Mantra! Fadu)Tona andFhad)Phun0.;ho is a ;itch octor#

    •;itch doctor means a person who is locally 0nown as *unia! Tantri0 or otherwise and claimsthat he has supernatural or magical power to control or cure a witch or performs any ritual purportedlyto free a woman from evil spirit.

    ;hat is ;itch Hunting#

    •;itch)hunting means any act or conduct on the part of any person! identifying! accusing or defaminga woman as a witch or harassing! harming or in9uring such woman whether mentally or physically or bydamaging her property.

    Sources% The Hindu. 

     7aard e9pects 5: credit gro*th in AP. TelanganaThe -ational an0 for 'griculture and $ural evelopment 2-abard3 e"pects a ?BL growth in creditdisbursals to 'ndhra Pradesh and Telangana to $s >4!BBB crore during fiscal >B4?)4A.

    •The ban0 also has formed regional advisory groups 2thin0 tan0s3 and technical groups for both thestates to assist in advancing the lending mechanisms. It is also ta0ing up a self)help group 2SH*3digitisation drive! with the pilot to be ta0en up in Meda0 district in Telangana this year.

    -abard%It is an ape" development and speciali Fuly 4GD> by an act by the parliament ofIndia. Its main focus is to uplift rural India by increasing the credit flow for elevation of agriculture , ruralnon farm sector.

    •It was established based on the recommendations of the Committee set up by the $eserve an0 ofIndia 2$I3 under the chairmanship of Shri . shivaraman.

    •It replaced the 'gricultural Credit epartment 2'C3 and $ural Planning and Credit Cell 2$PCC3 of$eserve an0 of India! and 'gricultural $efinance and evelopment Corporation 2'$C3.

    •It has been accredited with matters concerning policy! planning and operations in the field of creditfor agriculture and other economic activities in rural areas in India.

    •-''$ is active in developing financial inclusion policy and is a member of the 'lliance for8inancial Inclusion.

    Its role and functions%It loo0s after the development of the cottage industry! small industry and village industry! and other ruralindustries.The an0 has been given certain roles as follows%

    •It Serves as an ape" financing agency for the institutions providing investment and production credit

    for promoting the various developmental activities in rural areas•It ta0es measures towards institution building for improving absorptive capacity of the credit deliverysystem! including monitoring! formulation of rehabilitation schemes! restructuring of credit institutions!training of personnel! etc.

    •Co)ordinates the rural financing activities of all institutions engaged in developmental wor0 at the fieldlevel and maintains liaison with *overnment of India! State *overnments! $eserve an0 of India 2$I3and other national level institutions concerned with policy formulation

    •It Underta0es monitoring and evaluation of pro9ects refinanced by it.

    •-''$ refinances the financial institutions which finances the rural sector.

    •It regulates the institution which provides financial help to the rural economy.

    •It provides training facilities to the institutions wor0ing the field of rural upliftment.

    It regulates the cooperative ban0s and the $$+s! and manages talent ac/uisition through IPS C;1.•-''$ is also 0nown for its KSH* an0 6in0age Programme+ which encourages India+s ban0s tolend to SH*s.

    Sources% The Hindu! ;i0i! -''$.

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     Sei for incl$ding family tr$sts. 7&8Cs in ;I& segment The Securities and 1"change oard of India 2Sebi3 has proposed including Ksystematically important+ non)ban0 financial companies 2-8Cs3 and some registered family trusts in the /ualified institutional buyers2I3 category. 8urther! the regulator has suggested any other entity registered with Sebi and having aminimum net worth of $s ?BB crore may also be considered a I.Impact%

    •The move will put such entities at a par with institutional investors li0e ban0s and mutual funds 2M8s3.;ho are /ualified institutional buyers#Currently! Is are defined under Sebi regulations as institutional investors generally perceived to possesse"pertise and the financial muscle to evaluate and invest in capital mar0ets.

    •The e"isting Is include public financial institutions li0e scheduled commercial ban0s! M8s! foreigninstitutional investor and venture capital funds.

    S1IThe Securities and 1"change oard of India 2S1I3 is the regulator for the securities mar0et in India. It wasestablished in the year 4GDD and given statutory powers on 4> 'pril 4GG> through the S1I 'ct! 4GG>.Composition%S1I is composed of

    The chairman who is nominated by Union *overnment of India.•Two members! i.e.! @fficers from Union 8inance Ministry.

    •@ne member from the $eserve an0 of India.

    •The remaining five members are nominated by Union *overnment of India! out of them at least threeshall be whole)time members.

    8or the discharge of its functions efficiently! S1I has been vested with the following powers%

    •To approve byQlaws of stoc0 e"changes.

    •To re/uire the stoc0 e"change to amend their byQlaws.

    •Inspect the boo0s of accounts and call for periodical returns from recogni

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    The inde" provides an annual ran0ing of 4EB countries and territories according to their business resilience tosupply chain disruption.Sources% S.Insights aily Current 1vents! B= 'pril >B4?

     #ain-hit areas to get 7#=GS oost The Union government is planning to increase the number of wor0 days under the Mahatma *andhi -ational$ural 1mployment *uarantee Scheme from 4BB to 4?B in places where the recent unseasonal rain and

    hailstorms have affected crops. The relief pac0age will include cash compensation.•The 8inance Ministry and the 'griculture Ministry are readying a relief pac0age that will include cashcompensation for damaged crops to farmers hit by the unseasonal rain and hailstorms.

    M*-$1*'%The -ational $ural 1mployment *uarantee 'ct >BB?! also 0nown as the Mahatma *andhi -ational $ural1mployment *uarantee 'ct is an Indian labour law and social security measure.'ims%

    •To guarantee the Kright to wor0+ and ensure livelihood security in rural areas.

    •To create durable assets that would augment the basic resources available to the poor.

    •To follow the irective Principles of State Policy enunciated in Part I: of the Constitution of India andconforms to the 'rticle >E of the Universal eclaration of Human $ights that defines the right to wor0

    as a basic human right.How# y providing at least 4BB days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every householdwhose adult members volunteer to do uns0illed manual wor0.More etails%

    •The provisions of the law also adhere to the principles enunciated in the Constitution of India under'rticle >4 of the Constitution of India that guarantees the right to life with dignity to every citiB4E)4= figure.

    •Compared with 4=5 la0h person days generated in ecember >B4E! only 4>E la0h person days weregenerated in ecember >B4=! with the decline sharper in poor States such as ihar and Chhattisgarh.

    •Till ecember >B4= in the financial year >B4=)4?! 5> per cent of the total wages disbursed weredelayed. 'nd delays in wage payments have actually increased over time.

    However! 1vidence from independent research studies have shown that the M*-$1*' has successfullycurbed distress migration! had large effects on consumption and poverty of alit and 'divasi households!increased nutritional standards of households! provided ris0 resilience to small and marginal farmers andvastly e"panded the financial inclusion net in the country.Sources% The Hindu! -$1*'! ;i0i. Centre e9tends food la* deadline again y / months

    The Centre has given another si" months to the States for rolling out the -ational 8ood Security 'ct 2-8S'3.The deadline has already been e"tended twice.

    •@nly 44 States and Union Territories have so far implemented the 'ct which was passed by Parliamentin September >B4E.

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    •espite the e"tension of the deadline twice! only Pun9ab! Haryana! $a9asthan! Himachal Pradesh!Madhya Pradesh! ihar! Chhattisgarh! Maharashtra! 7arnata0a! elhi and Chandigarh have so farimplemented the 'ct! some fully and others partially.

    'bout -ational 8ood Security 'ct! >B4E%'lso called as the $ight to 8ood act! this act aims to provide subsidi $upees per 0g

    •Coarse grains 2millet3 at 4 rupee per 0g.Salient features%

    •5?L rural and ?BL of the urban population are entitled for three years from enactment to five 0g foodgrains per month at E $upees ! > $upees! 4 $upee per 0g for rice! wheat and coarse grains 2millet3!respectively.

    •The states are responsible for determining eligibility.

    •Pregnant women and lactating mothers are entitled to a nutritious ta0e home ration of ABB Calories

    and a maternity benefit of at least $s A!BBB for si" months.•Children A to 4= years of age are to receive free hot meals or ta0e home rations.

    •The central government will provide funds to states in case of short supplies of food grains.

    •The state government will provide a food security allowance to the beneficiaries in case of non)supplyof food grains.

    •The Public istribution System is to be reformed.

    •The eldest woman in the household! 4D years or above! is the head of the household for the issuance ofthe ration card.

    •There will be state) and district)level redress mechanisms and State 8ood Commissions will be formedfor implementation and monitoring of the provisions of the 'ct.

    •The poorest who are covered under the 'ntodaya yo9ana will remain entitled to the E? 0g of grains

    allotted to them under the mentioned scheme.The cost of the implementation is estimated to be >> billion24.>? lac crore3! appro"imately 4.?L of *P.Sources% The Hindu! ;i0i! -8S'! PI. 

     Meet revisits %$dicial val$es. to revie* selection process' conference of chief 9ustices of all the high courts has begun. It will discuss ways and means to speedilydispose of cases involving crimes against women and marginalised sections of society. 8urther the higher

     9udiciary wants to devise a mechanism to fast)trac0 corruption cases.

    •The conference will be led by the Chief Fustice of India 2CFI3 and two senior)most 9udges of theSupreme Court.

    etails%

    •The 9udges will lay special emphasis on fast)trac0ing cases of crime against women! children! seniorcitiBB?R submitted by e)Committee2Supreme Court of India3. 1ssentially e)Court involves widespread use of video)conference! includingrecording of evidence and pronouncing 9udgements.

    •'part from these! chief 9ustices will present papers on financial autonomy for high courts!computerisation of courts and post)retiral benefits for 9udges. ' national vision and mission for the

    ne"t year will also be finalised.

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    •@n the problem of case bac0log! the Chief Fustices would consider the establishment of an arrearscommittee at the High Court level and create uniformity in giving the pendency figures. There are >.A=crore undecided cases in the subordinate courts and => la0h pending in the High Courts.

    •The conclave is proposing to ma0e the High Courts financially independent and further increase thesalaries! emoluments and post)retirement benefits for High Court Chief Fustices and 9udges.

    The 9udiciary+s code of conduct%

    •The 9udiciary+s code of conduct was adopted 4D years ago! in May 4GG5 in a 8ull Court Meeting of theSupreme Court. This document! the K$estatement of :alues of Fudicial 6ife!+ serves as a guide to beobserved by 9udges in the impartial administration of 9ustice.

    •This code was the outcome of a resolution passed in Chief Fustices+ Conference held in September4GG>. The cardinal rule of the 4GG5 document is that 9ustice must not merely be done but it must alsobe seen as done. Its first tenet being that the behaviour and conduct of members of the higher

     9udiciary must reaffirm the people+s faith in the impartiality of the 9udiciary.Sources% The Hindu! 1T. 

     Iran n$clear dealIran and si" world powers reached a preliminary nuclear agreement recently outlining commitments by bothsides as they wor0 for a comprehensive deal aiming at curbing nuclear activities Tehran could use to ma0e

    weapons and providing sanctions relief for Iran. The si" world powers areN U.S.! U.7.! 8rance! $ussia!China and *ermany.'ccording to the -ew 'greement%

    •'ll the e"cess stoc0pile and nuclear parts will be 0ept at an I'1')monitored location! while the U.-.!the U.S. and the 1U will withdraw all sanctions that have crippled the Iranian economy for years.

    •Iran has committed to enriching uranium substantially below weapons)grade and to reduce its enricheduranium stoc0pile from about five tons to EBB 0ilograms 2less than 5BB pounds3 for 4? years.

    •Iran will reduce the number of installed centrifuges by two)thirds and turn its nuclear facility in8ordow into an $, facility.

    Sources% The Hindu! ;i0i.;hy online trading stops during solar flare and e/uino"#

    ince :S'T which is used for online trading is a geo stationary satelite it should placed EABBB 0m abovee/uator...

    e"planation

    ' satellite in a circular orbit with a period of >= hours is geosynchronous. Its geostationary only if the planeof its orbit is coincident with the e/uator. If the plane of its orbit is not coincident with the e/uator! it willappear from the ground to move up and down across the e/uator 2and bac0 and forth a little! in a verticalfigure D3 during the course of a day! and so it wont be stationary

    so e/uino" where sun came near e/uator causes high energy particles and em radiations ma0e hinderences to

    communicationInsights aily Current 1vents! BA 'pril >B4?

    The $a9asthan State Human $ights Commission2SH$C3 has as0ed the government to ta0e a freshloo0 at the Mines 'ct! 4G?> to contain the alarming

    spread of occupational diseases and effectively deal with violators.;hy#It is mainly due to a significant increase in silicosis prevalence in the region.;hat else has the $a9asthan State Human $ights Commission 2SH$C3 said#

    •The commission has recommended the constitution of anindependent agency with ade/uate powers to deal with allissues relating to occupational diseases and another panel to conduct studies and research.

    •The SH$C has also said that it should be madecompulsory for mine owners to use modern technology fore"traction of sandstone and other dimensional stones.

     Amend Mines Act to contain silicosis) #a%asthan H#C 

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    Silicosis%

    •Silicosis is an incurable respiratory disease caused byinhaling silica dust and is widespread among miners.

    •The problem will be prevalent among wor0ers engaged inseveral other occupations such as stone crushers! /uart<mining and processing! foundries! sand blasting! ceramic industries! gem cutting and polishing! slateand pencil industries! glass manufacturing! and construction wor0ers.

    Present Scenario%

    •The ma9ority of stone mines are in the unorganised andsmall)scale sector and provide employment to la0hs ofpeople living around the mines. $eliable data about these wor0ers are not available since employmentdetails are not maintained! though rough estimates suggest that >? la0h wor0ers are engaged in miningoperations in $a9asthan.

    •$oughly ?5 silicosis deaths have been reported from theState since >BBG)4B and over DG4 cases detected. Thesewor0ers are among the poorest of the poor.

    •;or0ing conditions in stone /uarries are far fromsatisfactory. Most of the small mine operators are reluctant

    to adopt safety and health measures and do not comply with the provisions of the Mines 'ct! 4G?>.$ecommendations made by the $a9asthan SH$C%

    •' medical e"amination at the time of employment andperiodic medical e"amination prescribed under the Mines'ct and the 8actories 'ct should be made mandatory for contract and casual labour in ha

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    •The pro9ect has got the bac0ing of elhi Metro $ailCorporation 2M$C3! which allowed the students to installa turbine on trial basis at one of the underground stations.

    etails of the Pro9ect%

    •;ithout obstructing the operation! safety and security ofMetro services! turbine was put up along the undergroundtrac0s at the mouth of tunnel where the ma"imum wind velocity available is A.? metre per second 2m&s3.

    •In the first phase! a three)blade turbine was installed andlater a five)blade light rotor turbine with a cut)in speed ofless than 4.?m&s. It was connected to a battery and the power generated was measured.

    Sources% S.harat $atna $ 'mbed0ar+s memorial isproposed to be built in Mumbai at a place wherehis last rites were performed! with an agreement

    being signed to resolve the long)pending issue of land transfer.etails%

    •It is a tripartite agreement involving the Union Te"tilesMinistry! the *overnment of Maharashtra and the -ational

    Te"tile Corporation.•The agreement paves the way for resolving the long)pending issue of transfer of land from the -ational Te"tilesCorporation to the government of Maharashtra to enable construction of a befitting memorial for harat$atna abasaheb r $ 'mbed0ar.

    Sources% S.China has e"pressed its readiness to wor0 withIndia to lin0 its ambitious Maritime Sil0 $oadplans with India+s KMausam+ pro9ect in a bid to

    address India+s strategic concerns and derive common benefits.Pro9ect KMausam+%

    •It is a Pro9ect under which the *overnment of India has

    proposed to establish cross cultural lin0ages and to revivehistoric maritime cultural and economic ties with EG Indian @cean countries.

    •The EG countries include ahrain! angladesh! Cambodia!China! 1gypt! Ira/! Mauritius! Singapore! Thailand! (emen!South 'frica! Philippines! Pa0istan among others.

    •Pro9ect KMausam+ was launched in the EBth Session of;orld Heritage Committee meeting which was held atoha! uatar in Fune! >B4= and since then it has received positive response from countries such asChina! U'1! atar! Myanmar! Iran and :ietnam.

    •It is a Ministry of Culture pro9ect with 'rchaeologicalSociety of India 2'SI3 as the nodal agency and Indira

    *andhi -ational Centre for the 'rts 2I*-C'3 as its $esearch Unit.•The endeavour of Pro9ect KMausam+ is to position itself attwo levels% at the macro level it aims to reconnect and re)establish communications between countries of the Indian @cean world! which would lead to anenhanced understanding of cultural values and concerns while at the micro level the focus is onunderstanding national cultures in their regional maritime milieu.

    •The central themes that hold Pro9ect KMausam+ togetherare those of cultural routes and maritime landscapes thatnot only lin0ed different parts of the Indian @cean littoral! but also connected the coastal centres to theirhinterlands.

    Sources% I1! ignca.nc.in.Insights Daily Current Events, 0 April 2015

     7eed to reloo4 la* on %$veniles. SC tells govt>The Supreme Court recently as0ed the government to re)visit the Fuveniles law so that a 9uvenile accused ofrape and murder cannot get away by claiming he is too young to understand the conse/uences of his crime.

     Agreement signed to pave *ay for Amed4ar2s memorial in M$mai

     #eady to lin4 Sil4 #oad plans *ith India2s6Ma$sam?) China

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    @bservations made by the Supreme Court%

    •The 'pe" court has observed that it can no longer shut its eyes to the danger posed to society by 9uveniles accused of heinous crimes li0e rape! dacoity! murder and drug)peddling.

    •The court has also observed that there can be a situation where a commission of an offence may betotally innocuous or emerging from a circumstance where a young boy is not aware of theconse/uences. ut in cases of rape! dacoity! murder! which are heinous crimes! it is e"tremely difficultto conceive that the 9uvenile was not aware of the conse/uences.

    ac0ground%

    •The court was hearing a plea by a murder accused! who claimed that he was less than 4D years old atthe time of the alleged crime in May >BBB.

    "ection #$ of the &uvenile &ustice #'are and (rotection of 'hildren Act)000 defines *+uvenile, or*'hild, as a person who has not completed eighteenth year of age.   According to nternational aw) a/'hild’ means every human being below the age of 1 years. Today this is a universally accepted definitionof a child which comes from the nited 2ations 'onvention on the 3ights of the 'hild #2'3'.Sources% The Hindu! ;i0i. Govt> moves to clear the air The government recently launched the -ational 'ir uality Inde" 2'I3 that will put out real time data

    about the level of pollutants in the air and inform people about the possible impacts on health.etails%

    •The new inde" will initially cover 4B cities N elhi! 'gra! 7anpur! 6uc0now! :aranasi! 8aridabad!'hmedabad! Chennai! angalore and Hyderabad N each of which would have monitoring stations with'ir uality Inde" display boards.

    ac0ground%

    •The government has been under immense pressure to ta0e a strong stand on air pollution after a ;orldHealth @rgani

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    •People who 9oin the scheme before completing the age of ?B! can continue to have the ris0 of life coverup to the age of ?? years! sub9ect to the payment of premium.

    •The scheme has an annual premium of $s EEB! with a ris0 coverage of $s > la0h. The premium will bedirectly auto) debited by the ban0 from the subscriber+s account.

    •' person can opt for the scheme for a year or prefer to continue it as a long term option. In case of longterm option! his account will be auto) debited every year by the ban0.

    Under the scheme! a ris0 of $s.> la0h will be covered in case of death and a premium sum of $s.EEBper annum will be auto)debited to the account holder+s account. 's per the terms of ris0 coverage! aperson has to opt for the scheme every year.

    Sources% The Hindu! PI. 

     &engal$r$ sh$tter$g capt$res rare Partridge' photographer recently spotted the Chestnut)breasted Partridge 2'rborophila mandellii3! endemic to the1astern Himalayas in 'runachal Pradesh.Chestnut)breasted Partridge%There are nearly =? different species of partridges! of which the Chestnut)breasted Partridge N which getsits scientific name from an Italian naturalist N is classified as a Khill partridge+. IUC- estimates that about>!?BB Chestnut)breasted Partridges live in 'runachal Pradesh! hutan and 6ower Tibet along the Himalayas.

    •The ;i0ipedia page shows only a s0etch for an image. The International Union for Conservation of-ature 2IUC-3! which categorises the bird as vulnerable! has only a colourful painting N at least twodecades old N as reference.

    •The IUC- has classified this bird as vulnerable.Sources% The Hindu. 

     Ministry of C$lt$re ta4es over the management of @alit 1ala A4ademiThe government has ta0en over the management control of 6alit 7ala '0ademi! an autonomous organisationof the Culture Ministry! following several complaints regarding alleged administrative and financialirregularities in its functioning.;hy#

    •@ver the past few years! Ministry of Culture had been receiving complaints regarding allegedadministrative and financial irregularities in 6alit 7ala '0ademi. The '0ademi+s *eneral Council and1"ecutive oard are also non)functional since >B4E due to certain court cases. 'lso! the '0ademi+sprincipal e"ecutive officer i.e.! the Secretary is currently under suspension with departmental in/uiryproceeding having been ordered against him by the '0ademi+s Chairman.

    •ue to above mentioned reasons and 0eeping in view the '0ademi+s beleaguered administration andthe substantial public interest involved in the '0ademi+s vibrant and transparent functioning! the Centralgovernment has ta0en over the management control of 6alit 7ala '0ademi.

    6alit 7ala '0ademi%The 6alit 7ala '0ademi or -ational 'cademy of 'rt is India+s -ational 'cademy of 8ine 'rts. It was anautonomous organi

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    The Scorpene class submarines are a class of diesel)electric attac0 submarine 9ointly developed by the8rench C- and the Spanish company -avantia and now by C-S. It features diesel propulsion and anadditional air)independent propulsion 2'IP3 system.'ir)independent propulsion%'ir)independent propulsion 2'IP3 is any technology which allows a non)nuclear submarine to operatewithout the need to access atmospheric o"ygen 2by surfacing or using a snor0el3. 'IP can augment or replacethe diesel)electric propulsion system of non)nuclear vessels. The C-S system! 0nown as M1SM' 2Module

    d+1nergie Sous)Marine 'utonome3! is based on the combustion of stored o"ygen and ethanol to augmentbattery)powered propulsion.Significance of 'IP%

    •-otably! a submarine is about stealth. It is a weapons platform not visible to the na0ed eye. 'IPsignificantly improves stealth because it enables a submarine to generate electricity for services andbattery charging and propulsion while completely submerged.

    •'IP systems are au"iliary! li0e a smaller hull inserted in the main body. They generate electricity!powering a submarine+s to operate and also generate o"ygen! lighting and amenities for crew.'ccordingly! they enable conventional diesel)electric submarines to remain submerged for two to threewee0s at a time. ;ithout 'IP! diesel)electric submarines have to come up to snor0eling depths 9ustbelow the surface or surface at shorter intervals so that the diesel engines can recharge their batteries.

    This significantly increases the ris0 of detection.•' submarine+s diesel engines can only be started once the snor0el has cleared the surface to ta0e ino"ygen in the fresh air. Snor0eling depth is about the same as periscope depth. 'IP significantlyimproves stealth because it enables a submarine to generate electricity for services and battery chargingand propulsion while completely submerged.

    •' benefit of this approach is that it can be retrofitted into e"isting submarine hulls by inserting anadditional hull section. 'IP does not normally provide the endurance or power to replace theatmospheric dependent propulsion! but allows it to remain submerged longer than a moreconventionally propelled submarine.

    •' typical conventional power plant will provide E megawatts ma"imum! and an 'IP source around4BL of that. ' nuclear submarine+s propulsion plant is usually much greater than >B megawatts.'nother advantage is that the -on)nuclear submarines running on battery power or 'IP can be virtually

    silent.Sources% The Hindu! ;i0i.Insights aily Current 1vents! BD 'pril >B4?

    $I 0eeps rates unchanged

    The $I in its recent monetary policy review has 0ept the repo rate unchanged at 5.?L and 0ept the Cash$eserve $atio 2C$$3 at =L.

    ;hy#

    $I has 0ept policy rate unchanged awaiting clarity on impact of unseasonal rains on food inflation.Unseasonal rains and hailstorm have impacted rabi crops across -orth and ;estern India! raising fears ofspi0e in food prices.

    ;hat else has the $I said#

    $I wants ban0s to pass on benefits of previous two rate cuts. It says that transmission of policy rates tolending rates has not ta0en place so far despite wea0 credit off ta0e and the front loading of two rate cuts.

    Hence! the $I says that with little transmission! and the possibility that incoming data will provide moreclarity on the balance of ris0s on inflation! it will maintain status /uo in its monetary policy stance in thisreview. In an effort to bolster economic growth! the central ban0 had cut rates twice! by >? basis points each!

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    outside the regular policy reviews. However! only a very few ban0s passed on the benefits through reductionof their lending rates.

    $I has said for monetary transmission to occur! lending rates have to be sensitive to the policy rate. ;ithintroduction of the base rate on Fuly 4! >B4B! ban0s could set their actual lending rates on loans and advanceswith reference to the base rate. 't present! ban0s follow different methods in computing their base rate N onaverage cost of funds 2liabilities3! marginal cost or blended cost.

    ;hat is monetary transmission#

    Monetary transmission is the process through which changes in a central ban0+s monetary policy getsreflected in the real economy. So! for instance! if a central ban0 reduces interest rates it charges borrowingban0s! it would e"pect that reduction to be passed on to eventual customers as a result of the monetarytransmission process.

    Usually! there is a lag between the actions of the central ban0 and those of the commercial ban0s. The lag isless when central ban0s raise interest rates.

    Sources% The Hindu.

    Intelligence agencies silent on $TI% study

    ' new! recently released data shows that India+s top security and intelligence agencies consistently refuse togive out any information about the $ight to Information re/uests they receive! and those that do! re9ect thebul0 of /ueries they receive.

    ;hat the 6aw says#

    Twenty)five of India+s top security agencies are e"empt from most of the re/uirements of the $TI 'ct! butare re/uired to provide access to information if it relates to allegations of corruption and human rightsviolations.

    These e"empted agencies also need to appoint public information officers and submit reports to the CentralInformation Commission about the number of $TI applications received! amount of fees collected and details

    of cases where access to information was re9ected. ut the data shows that many of these institutions havenever reported any $TI information to the CIC.

    $TI 'ct%

    $ight to Information 'ct >BB? mandates timely response to citi

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    proactively certain categories of information so that the citi

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    The $eal 1state 2$egulation , evelopment3 ill see0s to protect the interests of consumers and establishregulatory bodies at the Centre and States for ethical and transparent business practices in the real estatesector.

    'im of the ill% The bill aims at regulating contracts and transfer of property! both of which are underconcurrent list. The bill will override the provisions of state real estate laws if found inconsistent.

    8eatures of the bill%

    The ill regulates transactions between buyers and promoters of residential real estate pro9ects. It establishesstate level regulatory authorities called $eal 1state $egulatory 'uthorities 2$1$'s3.

    $esidential real estate pro9ects! with some e"ceptions! need to be registered with $1$'s. Promoters cannotboo0 or offer these pro9ects for sale without registering them. $eal estate agents dealing in these pro9ects alsoneed to register with $1$'s.

    ?BL of the amount collected from buyers for a pro9ect must be maintained in a separate ban0 account and

    must only be used for construction of that pro9ect. In the original ill! 5BL of the amount had to be 0ept forthis construction.

    The ill establishes state level tribunals called $eal 1state 'ppellate Tribunals. ecisions of $1$'s can beappealed in these tribunals.

    The ill provides for mandatory registration of all pro9ects and real estate agents who intend to sell any plot!apartment or building with the $eal 1state $egulatory 'uthority.

    It ma0es mandatory the disclosure of all information for registered pro9ects li0e details of promoters! layoutplan! land status! schedule of e"ecution and status of various approvals.

    The ill also includes a condition that prohibits a developer from changing the plan in a pro9ect unless >&Erdof the allottees have agreed for such a change.

    enefits%

    The ill is e"pected ensure greater accountability towards consumers! and to significantly reduce frauds anddelays.

    It is e"pected to promote regulated and orderly growth of the real estate sector through efficiency!professionalism and standardi

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    The SC has said that diesel vehicles are ma9or source of pollution in the ambient air /uality.

    The order comes >> days after the -*T as0ed elhi government to consider the proposal of banning dieselvehicles.

    ;hat else has the tribunal said#

    The Tribunal has directed elhi government to ensure vehicles are chec0ed for weight! age and pollutionlevels at all entry points of elhi and overloaded and polluting vehicles are prevented from entering the citylimits.

    The -*T also e"pressed its dis/uiet on how rampant unchec0ed construction in elhi and -C$ was addingdust to the air which when combines with particulate matter turns into a lethal mi".

    It has directed State of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana! -oida and *reater -oida authority! Haryana Urbanevelopment 'uthority and the elhi government to immediately stop construction activity li0e on the two)0m stretch from -H)>= to Char Murti Chow0 which are emanating dust.

    Present scenario%

    There are more than si" la0h diesel vehicles registered in elhi! which include more than five la0h privatecars. The entire public transport fleet in elhi runs on C-* now. However! heavy goods vehicles are still ondiesel.

    -ational *reen Tribunal 2-*T3

    The -ational *reen Tribunal has been established under the -ational *reen Tribunal 'ct >B4B for effectiveand e"peditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and othernatural resources including enforcement of any legal right relating to environment and giving relief andcompensation for damages to persons and property and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

    It is a specialiB of each.

    The Chairman of the tribunal who is the administrative head of the tribunal also serves as a 9udicial member.

    1very bench of the tribunal must consist of at least one e"pert member and one 9udicial member. TheChairman of the tribunal is re/uired to be a serving or retired Chief Fustice of a High Court or a 9udge of the

    Supreme Court of India.Members are chosen by a selection committee 2headed by a sitting 9udge of the Supreme Court of India3 thatreviews their applications and conducts interviews.

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    The Fudicial members are chosen from applicants who are serving or retired 9udges of High Courts. 1"pertmembers are chosen from applicants who are either serving or retired bureaucrats not below the ran0 of an'dditional Secretary to the *overnment of India 2not below the ran0 of Principal Secretary if serving under astate government3 with a minimum administrative e"perience of five years in dealing with environmentalmatters. @r! the e"pert members must have a doctorate in a related field.

    Furisdiction%

    The Tribunal has @riginal Furisdiction on matters of substantial /uestion relating to environment 2i.e. acommunity at large is affected! damage to public health at broader level3 , damage to environment due tospecific activity 2such as pollution3. However there is no specific method is defined in 6aw for determiningsubstantial damage to environment! property or public health.

    The powers of tribunal related to an award are e/uivalent to Civil court and tribunal may transmit anyorder&award to civil court have local 9urisdiction. The 'ct specifies that an application for dispute related toenvironment can be filled within si" months only when first time dispute arose 2provided tribunal can acceptapplication after AB days if it is satisfied that appellant was prevented by sufficient cause from filling theapplication3.

    'lso Tribunal is competent to hear cases for several acts such as 8orest 2Conservation3 'ct! iologicaliversity 'ct! 1nvironment 2Protection3 'ct! ;ater , 'ir 2Prevention , control of Pollution3 'cts etc. andalso have appellate 9urisdiction related to above acts after establishment of Tribunal within a period of EBdays of award or order received by aggrieved party.

    The 'ct says that decision ta0en by ma9ority of members shall be binding and every order of Tribunal shallbe final. 'ny person aggrieved by an award! decision! or order of the Tribunal may appeal to the SupremeCourt within GB days of commencement of award but Supreme Court can entertain appeal even after GB daysif appellant satisfied SC by giving sufficient reasons.

    Sources% The Hindu! ;i0i! -*T.

    SC see0s govt. response on plea on criminal defamation

    The Supreme Court recently too0 up a plea to de)criminalise defamation as it infringes on freedom of speechand e"pression.

    The 'pe" Court has directed the Centre and Tamil -adu government to respond within four wee0s topetition challenging the constitutional validity of Sections =GG and ?BB of the Indian Penal Code 2IPC3.

    Section =GG defines the offence Kdefamation+ and Section ?BB prescribes imprisonment up to two years if aperson is found guilty of defaming another+s reputation.

    ;hat the petition says#

    The petitioner says that criminal defamation under Sections =GG and ?BB of IPC travels beyond therestrictions of 'rticle 4G 2>3 and really constricts the freedom of speech beyond reasonable limit.

    Sources% The Hindu.

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    $emove Kleper+ from the boo0! says law panel

    The 6aw Commission has recommended that India needs to repeal or amend urgently laws whichdiscriminate against persons with leprosy! and stop the official use of the word leper.

    The 6aw Commission recently submitted its >?Ath report to the 6aw Ministry.

    The commission has prepared a draft ill to eliminate discrimination against persons affected with leprosy.

    ;hat has the commission said#

    The commission has recommended the repeal or amendment of all laws carrying discriminatory provisions.The panel recommended an end to the segregation of persons with leprosy! many of whom live in D?Bleprosy colonies across India.

    The commission observes that although leprosy may cause irreversible disabilities! with medical advances! itis now a completely curable disease. However! a ma9or obstacle is the social stigma associated with 6eprosy!

    and many persons affected by leprosy continue to be outcast from society.It also says that Indian laws continue to directly and indirectly discriminate against persons affected byleprosy.

    $ecommending amendments to Personal 6aws! the Commission said under the Hindu Marriage 'ct! 4G??!the issolution of Muslim Marriage 'ct! 4GEG! the amended Indian ivorce 'ct! 4DAG! Special Marriage'ct! 4G?= and the Hindu 'doption and Maintenance 'ct! 4G?A! leprosy affecting either spouse constitutes aground for divorce! annulment of marriage or separation without forfeiture of maintenance.

    iscriminatory laws%

    Under several personal laws of all religions! leprosy for more than two years serves as a legitimate groundfor divorce or separation between spouses.

    Under the State eggary 'cts! persons with leprosy are put under the same category as those with mentalailments! and medical e"amination! arrest and detention of persons affected by leprosy is allowed.

    The 6ife Insurance Corporation 'ct charges higher premium rates from persons with leprosy.

    Several State Municipal and Panchayat $a9 'cts bar persons with leprosy from holding or contesting civicposts.

    In >B4=! India had the largest number of new leprosy cases globally 2?D per cent3. 8rom >BB? to >B4=! the-ational 6eprosy 1radication Programme has recorded 4.>? la0h to 4.E? la0h new cases every year! ama9ority of those affected being children.

    6eprosy is a disease caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium 6eprae. It affects mainly the s0in and thenerves. This may result in a lac0 of ability to feel pain and thus loss of parts of e"tremities due to repeatedin9uries. ;ea0ness and poor eyesight may also be present.

    Sources% The Hindu! ;i0i.

    Insights aily Current 1vents! BG 'pril >B4?

     7AC rollo$t may ta4e monthsThough the Supreme Court recently refused to stay the -ational Fudicial 'ppointments Commission 'ct and

    referred a batch of petitions challenging it to a larger ench! it may still be several months before theCommission is even active.;hy the implementation is being delayed#

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    •Though President has given his assent to the -F'C along with an enabling ill providing for the panelon ecember E4 last year! the framing of rules and procedures under which the Commission willoperate has not yet been finalised.

    •There are also a host of logistical and procedural issues still to be addressed. 8or one! the governmentwill have to appoint two eminent persons to serve on the si")member Commission along with the ChiefFustice of India! the two seniormost 9udges of the Supreme Court and the 6aw Minister.

    •These two persons will have to be appointed by a panel consisting of the Prime Minister! the ChiefFustice of India and the leader of the largest opposition party in the 6o0 Sabha. Till date! this panel isyet to hold an official meeting to consider names.

    •esides this! the government is yet to allocate an office to the -F'C or appoint a secretariat to serve it.

    •The -F'C will li0ely re/uire several officials at various levels who will have to compile thebac0ground information on the various persons that the Commission will consider for appointment as

     9udges.

    •There are three vacancies in the Supreme Court and E?D vacancies for 9udges in the >= High Courts!according to numbers put out by the 6aw Ministry.

    -F'C%-F'C is a proposed body responsible for the appointment and transfer of 9udges to the higher 9udiciary inIndia. It see0s to replace the collegium system of appointing the 9udges of Supreme Court and >= High

    Courts with 9udicial appointments commission wherein the e"ecutive will have a say in appointing the 9udges.etails%

    •' new article! 'rticle 4>='! 2which provides for the composition of the -F'C3 will be inserted intothe Constitution.

    •The -F'C 'ct also see0s changes in articles 4>=!>45!>>> and >E4.The commission will consist of the following members%

    •Chief Fustice of India 2Chairperson! e" officio3

    •Two other senior 9udges of the Supreme Court ne"t to the Chief Fustice of India J e" officio

    •The Union Minister of 6aw and Fustice! e")officio

    •Two eminent persons 2to be nominated by a committee consisting of the Chief Fustice of India! Prime

    Minister of India and the 6eader of opposition in the 6o0 Sabha or where there is no such 6eader of@pposition! then! the 6eader of single largest @pposition Party in 6o0 Sabha3! provided that of the twoeminent persons! one person would be from the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes or @C orminority communities or a woman. The eminent persons shall be nominated for a period of three yearsand shall not be eligible for re)nomination.

    8unctions of the Commission%

    •$ecommending persons for appointment as Chief Fustice of India! Fudges of the Supreme Court! ChiefFustices of High Courts and other Fudges of High Courts.

    •$ecommending transfer of Chief Fustices and other Fudges of High Courts from one High Court to anyother High Court.

    •1nsuring that the persons recommended are of ability and integrity.Under the present Collegium system! the Chief Fustice of India would consult the four senior most 9udges ofthe Supreme Court for Supreme Court appointments and two senior)most 9udges for high courtappointments.How the -F'C will help%

    •The -F'C! once it came into e"istence! is e"pected to usher in transparency in 9udicial appointments inthe highest courts and end the highest 9udiciary+s two)decade)old grip over appointments of 9udgesthrough the collegium system.

    •It would restore an e/ual role for the e"ecutive in higher 9udicial appointments.'llegations%

    •Some people contend that that by passing the -F'C ill! Parliament had altered the basic structure ofthe Constitution and encroached into 9udicial independence. They say Independence of the 9udiciaryincludes the necessity to eliminate political influence even at the stage of appointment of a 9udge. This

    is being violated.•The amendment! as passed by the two houses of Parliament! ta0es away the primacy of the collectiveopinion of the Chief Fustice of India and the two senior most Fudges of the Supreme Court of India.

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    •'lthough the si")member Commission had the CFI as chairperson and two senior most Supreme Court 9udges as members! there was no primacy for them. 1ven their collective recommendation of acandidate as 9udge could be fro? Cr.PC! unless dis/ualified! is an absolute right.

    •The court has held that the obligation of the man to pay maintenance is heightened when thecouple+s children are with the wife. 'gain! the amount of maintenance should not be that which would

    only mean their mere survival. 's per law! she should lead a life similar to the one she would have inher husband+s house. 'nd that is where the status and strata of the husband comes into play and that iswhere the legal obligation of the husband becomes a prominent one.

    ac0ground%

    •The court was deciding the case of a former 'rmyman who! according to his wife! too0 voluntaryretirement so that he did not have to pay her the monthly maintenance of $s. =!BBB.

    •The High Court had felt that his means had been considerably reduced after retirement! and halved themaintenance sum to $s. >!BBB. 'ggrieved! the wife had moved the Supreme Court then.

    The SC found that the litigation on the maintenance had dragged on from 4GGD to >B4> in the High Court.Terming such procrastination unacceptable! the Supreme Court observed that such prolonged court battlesonly further corrode human relationships and ta0e a toll on society.Sources% The Hindu.

     PM la$nches Pradhan Mantri MUD#A 'o%ana

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    The Prime Minister recently launched the Pradhan Mantri MU$' 2Micro Units evelopment and$efinance 'gency3 (o9ana.etails%The MU$' scheme is aimed at funding the unfunded.

    •The scheme! which has a corpus of $s >B!BBB crore! can lend )et#een*s 50,000 and *s 10 la"h t%s+all entrepreneurs.

    MU$' will be set up through a statutory enactment. It will be responsible for developing and refinancingall micro)finance institutions 2M8Is3 which are in the business of lending to micro and small business entitiesengaged in manufacturing! trading and service activities.$ole of MU$' ban0#

    •MU$' an0 will refinance Micro)8inance Institutions through a Pradhan Mantri Mudra (o9ana. Inlending! priority will be given to SC&ST enterprises.

    •It will also partner with State and regional)level coordinators to provide finance to last)mile financiersof small and micro business enterprises. Its proposed role includes laying down policy guidelines formicro enterprise financing business! registration! accreditation and rating of M8I entities.

    •The agency will also lay down responsible financing practices to ward off over)indebtedness andensure proper client protection principles and methods of recovery.

    enefits%

    •These measures will greatly increase the confidence of young! educated or s0illed wor0ers who wouldnow be able to aspire to become first generation entrepreneurs.

    •1"isting small businesses! too! will be able to e"pand their activities.

    •y floating MU$' ban0! the Centre has ensured credit flow to SM1s sector and has also identified-8Cs as a good fit to reach out to them.

    •People will now be able to get refinance at subsidised rate and it would be passed on to the SM1s.Moreover! it would enable SM1s to e"pand their activities.

    Sources% The Hindu! PI. 

     1illing of *oodc$tters violates SC r$ling$ecently! 'ndhra Pradesh police shot dead >B woodcutters from Tamil -adu. They were found felling red

    sanders.Controversy%The reason given by 'ndhra Pradesh $ed Sanders 'nti)Smuggling Tas0 8orce officials is that they feared fortheir own lives and shot dead >B woodcutters from Tamil -adu. ut! e"perts say that it is hardly a legaldefence! especially when the Supreme Court has held that the act of e"tra9udicial 0illing by the police! if not

     9ustified! amounts to culpable homicide.;hat the law says#

    •It is not an offence for a police officer to use force in private defence! but Section =A of the CriminalProcedure Code! dealing with the procedure of arrest! mandates that a police officer has no right tocause the death of a person who is not accused of an offence punishable with death or withimprisonment for life.

    •The law further mandates that a police officer should use only reasonable force to arrest an offender.

    In this case! the police resorted to fatal force to counter stones and sic0les allegedly hurled at them bythe woodcutters.

    ;hat has the Supreme Court said#

    •In its >B4> decision in the @m Pra0ash versus State of Fhar0hand case! the Supreme Courtcategorically warned policemen that it is not the duty of police officers to 0ill! even dreadedcriminals.

    •The SC had further said that the duty of the police is to arrest an accused and put him up for trial. Such0illings must be deprecated. They are not recognised as legal by our criminal 9ustice administrationsystem. They amount to State)sponsored terrorism.

    Sources% The Hindu. President of India presents Padma A*ardsThe President of India recently presented Padma :ibhushan! Padma hushan and Padma Shri awards to ?Bpeople.'bout Padma 'wards%

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    Padma 'wards J one of the highest civilian 'wards of the country! are conferred in three categories! namely!Padma :ibhushan! Padma hushan and Padma Shri. They were instituted in the year 4G?=.The 'wards are given in various disciplines& fields of activities! vi

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    •1arth Hour >B4? was on Saturday! March >D! from D%EB pm to G%EB pm in a location+s local time. 1arthHour >B4A will be on Saturday! March 4G! from D%EB p.m. to G%EB p.m. during participants+ local time.

    Sources% The Hindu. Gro*th in =$ro !one and India accelerating. says "=CDThe @rganisation for 1conomic Co)operation and evelopment 2@1C3 recently said that economic growthis accelerating in the euro

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    •The first *$! dated 'ugust D! >B4=! mentions that as per various city development plans! the Irrigationepartment+s regional chief engineer can issue no)ob9ection certificates for constructing roads! gardensand 9ogging trac0s on riverbeds! flood protection walls on river ban0s! or laying sewerage pipes withinthe blueline area! claiming that these will neither erode the riverbed cross)sections nor interfere with thenatural flow. The second *$ allegedly empowers the department to alter bluelines Kon demand+ withoutclearly setting forth the concerned authority.

    ;hat has the -*T said#

    •The Tribunal has noted that the *$s were improper and gave ample scope for illicit construction byignoring the precautionary principle enumerated in Section >B of the -*T 'ct! >B4B.

    •The Tribunal has ruled that the blueline could be drawn by the Irrigation epartment only on demandor urgent notification by the istrict Collector of any impending flood)li0e situation where a river flowsabove the danger level.

    The Tribunal has directed the Irrigation epartment to conduct a geo)mapping of the State+s rivers andupload blueline maps on the official websites of the 1nvironment and Irrigation epartments within 4>wee0s.Sources% The Hindu. 

     #a%asthan to cover 0 la4h children $nder imm$nisation plan

    $a9asthan will immuni

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    Sources% The Hindu! PI. U7=SC" report la$ds India2s progress' recently released U-1SC@ global education report says that India has reduced its out of school childrenby over GBL and has achieved universal primary education.etails%

    •The report says that India is predicted to be the only country in South and ;est 'sia to have an e/ualratio of girls to boys in both primary and secondary education.

    •The report says that while globally =5L of the countries achieved universal pre)primary enrolment! DLof the countries including India were close to achieving so.

    •The U-1SC@ report also noted the achievement of gender parity in India but said the country is yet toachieve significant progress in adult literacy. It said E>L of the countries including India are still veryfar from achieving it.

    •The report called upon all the countries to ensure that children and adolescents complete pre)primary!primary and lower secondary education by >BEB.

    •The report said that globally! 9ust one)third of countries have achieved all of the measurable 1ducationfor 'll 218'3 goals set in >BBB and only half of all countries have achieved the most prominent goal ofuniversal primary education.

    Sources% The Hindu.Insights aily Current 1vents! 44 'pril >B4? Bictims m$st get f$ll treatment) SC The Supreme Court recently through an order made it mandatory for Private hospitals across the country toprovide full and free medical treatment to the victims of acid attac0.;hat else has the Court said#

    •The court has directed all States to ta0e up with private hospitals and ensure that they do not denytreatment to acid attac0 victims.

    •The order said the term treatment included reconstructive surgery! free medicines! bed! rehabilitationand aftercare.

    •The court has directed the State governments to ta0e action against the hospitals turning away victims.1ffects of this order%

    •-ow! private hospitals could neither turn away victims of acid attac0 nor wash their hands of afterproviding first aid.

    ac0ground%

    •The order came on a public interest litigation petition filed by 6a"mi! an acid attac0 victim! followingnine years of fighting for the rights of victims.

    •6a"mi was only 4? when three men! one of whom she had refused to marry! threw acid on her nearTughla/ $oad in -ew elhi. She has been fighting a lonely battle since >BBA in the Supreme Court! andin the process! succeeded in getting the Indian Penal Code amended to ma0e acid attac0 a specialoffence.

    •She further persuaded the court to increase the compensation for victims to $s. E la0h! besidesprocuring a complete ban on over)the)counter sale of acid.

    •The recent order dealt with Ms. 6a"mi+s final demand for getting victims proper treatment! aftercareand rehabilitation.

    Sources% The Hindu. 

     India. 8rance agree on deal for / #afale %etsIndian PM! during his visit to 8rance! has announced that the Indian 'ir 8orce 2I'83 would buy EA $afalefighters in fly)away condition.etails%

    •These will e/uip two I'8 s/uadrons with 4D aircraft each.

    •However! the announcement is silent about the plan to build the $afale at Hindustan 'eronautics 6td2H'63! a central part of the tender. So far! this multi)billion dollar procurement! conceived as a

    springboard for the modernisation of India+s aerospace sector! will only benefit that of 8rance.•The recent announcement underlines the continuing failure by India and 8rance to ta0e to a logicalconclusion the I'8+s 'ugust >BB5 tender for 4>A medium multi)role combat aircraft 2MM$C'3! ofwhich 4D were to be supplied fully built and 4BD built in India by H'6.

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    Sources% S. 

     India. 8rance sign deal for aitap$r 7-pro%ect India and 8rance recently signed an agreement to fast)trac0 the stalled nuclear pro9ect in Faitapur inMaharashtra.etails%

    •The Faitapur pro9ect! where 8rench company 'reva is to set up si" nuclear reactors with a total powergeneration capacity of about 4B!BBB Mw! is stuc0 for long because of differences over the cost ofelectricity to be generated.

    •The agreement signed between India+s 6arsen and Toubro and 8rance+s 'reva is aimed at costreduction by increasing localisation! thereby improving the financial viability of Faitapur pro9ect.

    Sources% S. Centre lin4s disaster compensation to farmers *ith headline inflation;ith unseasonal rains and hailstorms leading to massive loss to agriculture in around 4B states! the Centrehas increased the amount of assistance to farmers by ?BL.

    •The assistance will also be automatically reviewed in 'pril each year based on the annual inflationderived from the ;holesale Price Inde" 2;PI3 and rounded off to the ne"t multiple of 4BB. This would

    ensure that from now on! assistance to farmers will be lin0ed to the ;PI and could get automaticallyincreased.

    •'id to farmers is provided under the -ational isaster $esponse 8und 2-$83 and State isaster$esponse 8und 2S$83! in which the Centre contributes 5?L while states share the rest.

     4eadline inflation is a measure of the total inflation within an economy) including commodities such as foodand energy prices #e.g.) oil and gas) which tend to be much more volatile and prone to inflationary spi$es.

    Sources% S. 

     #&I2s fore9 reserves clim to an all-time high of 0 nThe $eserve an0 of India+s foreign e"change reserves hit an all)time high of E=E billion for the wee0ending 'pril E.

    •The rise in reserves was 4.AE billion. This is the ninth time this year foreign e"change reserves

    touched an all)time high. 8oreign currency assets rose >.=B billion to E4D.A= billion.8ore" reserves%8oreign e"change reserves are an important component of the balance of payments and an essential elementin the analysis of an economy+s e"ternal position.

    •The components of India+s foreign e"change reserves are foreign currency assets 28C'3! gold! S$sand reserve tranche position 2$TP3 in the IM8.

    •8oreign Currency 'ssets 28C'3 is the biggest component of the fore" reserves.S$s%It is an international reserve asset! created by the IM8 in 4GAG to supplement its member countries+ officialreserves.

    •Its value is based on a bas0et of four 0ey international currencies! and S$s can be e"changed for

    freely usable currencies. The S$ bas0et consists of the euro! Fapanese yen! pound sterling! and U.S.dollar.

    •The S$ is neither a currency! nor a claim on the IM8. $ather! it is a potential claim on the freelyusable currencies of IM8 members.

    Holders of S$s can obtain these currencies in e"change for their S$s in two ways%4.Through the arrangement of voluntary e"changes between members and>.y the IM8 designating members with strong e"ternal positions to purchase S$s from memberswith wea0 e"ternal positions.

    Sources% S! IM8.Insights Daily Current Events, 13 April 2015Three in a ro* for Sania-HingisSania Mir

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    •Sania and Hingis have already become the world -o. 4 team in the $ace to Singapore! the season)finale! where the top eight teams will compete at the end of year.

    •efore Sania! only 6eander Paes and Mahesh huapthi had achieved the top ran0ing when theydominated the men+s doubles circuit in the last 4GGBs.

    •It is Sania+s third successive title with Hingis and the pair has been unbeaten since 9oining forces inMarch >B4?. They won the title in Indian ;ells! their first tournament together! and followed it up witha victory at Miami.

    Sources% The Hindu. 

     #a%asthan gears $p to prevent child marriages on A4shaya TritiyaThe $a9asthan government has as0ed its health wor0ers and paramedical staff and non)governmentalorgani4! and Peepal Purnima onMay =.;hy#@n these days! considered auspicious! a large number of child marriages ta0e place nationwide! especially inrural $a9asthan.etails of a Survey%

    •'ccording to the 'nnual Health Survey for >B4>)4E! over 4=L of the girls were married while they

    were still below the legal age of 4D in the State. However! this in itself! is an improvement from the4GGD)>BB> 8amily Health Survey)444 figures of A?L of the girls being married before the legal age.

    •In rural areas of the State! 4DL of the girls are married before the legal age! compared with 9ust ?L inurban areas.

    •'cross the state there are wide variations in the prevalence of child marriages.' massive campaign is under way to drive home the point that besides parents and guests! all those involvedin child marriages li0e priests! tent)house owners! coo0s and band)owners could be boo0ed under the ChildMarriage $estraint 'ct! >BBA.

     A4shaya Tritiya. also 4no*n as A4ha Tee%) is a holy day for 4indus and &ains. t falls on the third Tithi#lunar day of 5right 4alf #"hu$la (a$sha of the pan-ndian month of 6aisha$ha and one of the four mostimportant days for 4indus. t is an auspicious day of the birthday of ord (arasurama who is the si7thincarnation of ord 6ishnu. 8n this day 6eda 6yas and ord 9anesha began to write :ahabharata.  n &ain

    and 4indu calendars) some days of the month are absent in counting and some days #tithi in lunarcalendars come e7tra) but A$shay tritiya is one day which is never *absent, from the lunar calendar.The day is considered auspicious for starting new ventures. The legend is that any venture initiated on theauspicious day of A$shaya Tritiya continues to grow and bring prosperity. 4ence) new ventures) li$e starting

    a business) construction) etc. is performed on A$shaya Tritiya.Sources% The Hindu! ;i0i. 

     =lection Commission sets $p committee to allo* migrants to voteThe 1lection Commission has set up a committee of senior officers to consider whether electoral laws can bechanged to empower voters who have migrated to other States within the country.1ffects%

    ' rela"ation of this law would prove beneficial to cadre)based parties in 0eeping their vote ban0 intact!especially in States such as 7erala and Tamil -adu where many youths are migrating to other States for 9obs.etails%

    •$ecently! the government had given green light to -$Is to cast their votes from abroad.

    •1C is considering whether inter)State migrant voters could retain their names on the electoral rolls oftheir native places! and also! if they could cast their votes through mechanisms such as postal ballot.

    Present situation%Under the present law! a person can be enrolled only at the place he is residing. ' migrant has to get himselfenrolled in the new place.ac0ground%

    •The Supreme Court in Fanuary! >B4? had issued a notice to the 1lection Commission on a plea madeby U'1)based doctor! demanding electoral reforms to allow inter)State migrants the voting privileges

    li0e postal ballot! which is accorded to government servants.•The petition has sought the same voting privileges accorded to government servants under Section>B2D3 2d3 of the $epresentation of the People 'ct! 4G?B! read with Section AB2b3 of the $epresentation

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    of the People 'ct 4G?4! which allowed them to vote via postal ballot upon the consent of the 1lectionCommission.

    •$eplying to the affidavit! 1C has said that the committee was set up despite scepticism about the needto amend the $epresentation of the People 'ct. The commission said a person who migrated can beconsidered ordinarily resident in his new place even without owning or possessing a house there. Itsaid the law was reasonable as it is now.

    Sources% The Hindu. C$rs on Governors2 o$tstation visitsThe Union Home Ministry has notified a new set of rules to regulate official visits of *overnors outside theirStates! mandating prior permission from the President and putting a cap of 5E days in a year as duration ofsuch visits.

    •-ow! all outstation visits of *overnors will re/uire prior approval of the President. 'nycommunication on this will have to be forwarded to the President+s Secretariat at least seven days inadvance.

    •The copies of all communications see0ing approval of the President for visits should be sent to thePrime Minister+s Principal Secretary and the Union Home Minister.

    •The *overnor shall invariably obtain clearance under the 8oreign Contribution $egulation 'ct and

    political clearance before underta0ing any foreign visit.uring e"traordinary circumstances%

    •1ven under emergency or e"traordinary circumstances! the *overnor cannot underta0e visits withoutintimating the President+s Secretariat.

    •In case of emergent or e"traordinary circumstances! if it is not possible to obtain permission then!intimation can be sent. The intimation shall contain details of the circumstances and the compellingreasons why it was not possible to obtain prior permission.

    $egarding Private visits%

    •The *overnors have to see0 permission from the President for private visits within India at least twowee0s in advance! e"cept under e"ceptional circumstances.

    •Communications pertaining to private visits abroad have to be made at least si" wee0s in advance.

    1"cept under e"traordinary circumstances! the *overnors cannot underta0e any outstation visit withoutprior approval. In case of visits due to e"traordinary circumstances! the *overnors have to intimate thePresident+s Secretariat as soon as the programme is finalised! providing details of the compellingreasons it was not possible to obtain permission. @nce the schedule for the visit is approved! it cannotordinarily be revised.

    Sources% The Hindu. Gandhi Stat$e $nveiled Prime Minister of India recently unveiled a bust of Mahatma *andhi in Hannover! *ermany.Sources% The Hindu. 

     7C&C li4ely to get stat$tory po*ers soon. says its chairman

    The Chairman of the -ational Commission for ac0ward Classes 2-CC3 recently said that the commissionwill soon get statutory powers on par with the -ational Commissions for SCs and STs.

    •Investing constitutional powers will authorise the Commission to /uestion the lapses in theimplementation of >5L reservation to @Cs.

    •The present commission had also made the central public sector underta0ings to implement the creamylayer provisions.

    -CC%-ational Commission for ac0ward Classes is statutory body established in 'ugust 4GGE! under theprovisions of -ational Commission for ac0ward Classes 'ct! 4GGE.

    •The commission was the outcome of the direction of the Supreme Court in the Mandal case 9udgement.

    •The commission has five members% a Chairperson who is or has been a 9udge of the Supreme Court orof a High Court a social scientist two persons! who have special 0nowledge in matters relating tobac0ward classes and a Member)Secretary! who is or has been an officer of the Central *overnment inthe ran0 of a Secretary to the *overnment of India. Their term is of Three years.

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    •The commission considers inclusions in and e"clusions from the lists of communities notified asbac0ward for the purpose of 9ob reservations and tenders the needful advice to the Central *overnment.

    Sources% The Hindu! ;i0i.

    Insights Daily Current Events, 1 April 2015Government notifies 7AC. p$ts an end to collegi$mThe Union government has finally notified the -ational Fudicial 'ppointments Commission law andeffectively brought to an end the two)decades)old collegium system of appointing 9udges.etails%

    •The notification brings into immediate effect the ati%nal udicial App%int+ents C%++issi%n Act,201, and the 44th C%nstituti%n A+end+ent Act.

    •-ow! the political class and civil society have an e/ual voice! along with the 9udiciary! in theappointment and transfer of 9udges in the highest 9udiciary.

    ac0ground%The notification was made possible by the Supreme Court on 'pril 5. ;hile referring the petitions to a largerench! the court had refused to pass a stay order on the law coming into force.'bout the -F'C and GGth constitution amendment ill%-F'C is a body responsible for the appointment and transfer of 9udges to the higher 9udiciary in India. F'C

    ill see0s to replace the collegium system of appointing the 9udges of Supreme Court and >= High Courtswith 9udicial appointments commission wherein the e"ecutive will have a say in appointing the 9udges.

    •' new article! 'rticle 4>='! 2which provides for the composition of the -F'C3 will be inserted intothe Constitution.

    •The ill provides for the procedure to be followed by the -F'C for recommending persons forappointment as Chief Fustice of India and other Fudges of the Supreme Court 2SC3! and Chief Fusticeand other Fudges of High Courts 2HC3.

    'ccording to the bill the commission will consist of the following members%

    •Chief Fustice of India 2Chairperson! e" officio3

    •Two other senior 9udges of the Supreme Court ne"t to the Chief Fustice of India J e" officio

    •The Union Minister of 6aw and Fustice! e")officio

    Two eminent persons 2to be nominated by a committee consisting of the Chief Fustice of India